Archive for December, 2009

Military Giant: Brigadier General William Warfield

In the past I posted a story about Brigadier General Bro. William Warfield of the 8th Infantry, Illinois National Guard. The pictures in this article show Bro. Warfield during War World I. Well, I found more pictures of Bro. Warfield from 1940 before he became a Brigadier General and the start of War World II.

Iota Sigma Chapter 1941

“The Dean”s 85th Birthday

Hon. Bro. Millard James Watkins, Jr. – known by Sigmas everywhere simply as “The Dean” – was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 17, 1924.

Growing up, Millard worked alongside his brothers in his father’s barber shop. He started cutting hair as soon as he could hold clippers and a comb – standing on a crate to ensure he was tall enough to see over his patron’s head. The family lived above the barbershop in the Historic Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond. It was in this same barbershop where he would fall in love with music and begin taking lessons on both the clarinet and saxophone.

While still a teenager, the young man we now loving refer to as “The Dean” began playing alongside numerous jazz greats – both local and international artists -on “the Deuce” (2nd Street, a short walk from his father’s shop) during the prime of “the Harlem of the South.” His passion for music, incredible work ethic, and mastery of his instruments provided Hon. Bro. Watkins with many gigs supporting touring artists in the pit at venues like the Hippodrome Theatre. “The Dean” also fronted his own combo for a time; they were known as “Millard Watkins and Kilowatts.”

After a few years further honing his craft (and facing severe discrimination) in the military, Millard returned home and promptly enrolled in Virginia Union University. As soon as he stepped onto campus he knew he wanted to be a Sigma Man. At that time, the Sigmas were the most distinguished of all fraternity men on Virginia Union’s campus. The brothers of the Mighty Lambda Chapter and their Crescents were constantly seen in suits and carrying that morning’s edition of the Wall Street Journal. Millard was successful in his journey to Sigma and was inducted into the Mighty Lambda Chapter in the Spring of 1948 (see photo, Hon. Bro. Watkins is seated second from right; Millard’s longtime friend, Hon. Richard “Dick” Ballard [Pres. #22] is standing, fourth from left). Once on the other side of the burning sands, Hon. Bro. Watkins told himself he was going to do all that he could do within his power to cease the unnecessary and brutal hazing that was common during this era.

Shortly after graduating, Millard married his sweetheart, Katie. “Miss Katie” – as many brothers know her – and Millard had four children, three boys and a girl, in the coming years. “Miss Katie” would later attend Virginia Union University and pledge Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. while juggling the many responsibilities of being a mother, wife, and student. Several years later, she served as the president of Delta’s Richmond Alumnae Chapter. The Watkins have been married for over 60 years; a true “old school” marriage, they are each other’s best friend.

Millard is a past president of Iota Sigma Chapter as well as a past Virginia State Director and Area IX Director. He has also held numerous other titles and positions in our beloved Sigma over his 61 years in our Wondrous Band. He was inducted into the Distinguished Service Chapter in 2007 at Conclave Charlotte (DSC #159). Hon. Bro. Watkins is truly a brother’s brother – an example of what we should all strive to be as Men of Sigma. Countless brothers both in Virginia and elsewhere can say he served them as both a mentor and a friend.

Please join me in wishing “The Dean” a Happy 85th Birthday.

Chi Beta Sigma chapter BBB Week 1936

Rare Foreign Video of Bro. Ollie Stewart

Just when I thought my research could not get any better than to find a rare video of Bro. George Washington Carver, I found an extremely rare foreign video of another brother.

In a previous post, I wrote about World War II correspondent Bro. Ollie Stewart. Our history book has a picture of Bro. Stewart at the January 1943 Casablanca Conference of World War II in Morocco (See picture). Bro. Stewart was the only African-American at this conference, which featured British Prime Minister Churchill and U.S. President Roosevelt as they agreed on further strategies for ending the war against Germany and the Nazi rule.

I just knew there had to be an old newsreel of this conference somewhere on this earth, which would show Bro. Stewart in attendance. Well, I found it on a British website! Bro. Stewart can be found at the 0.59 mark. If you look at Prime Minister Churchill from the back, there is a black man right above his hat, wearing a big military hat. If you freeze this frame, it is the same picture you will find in our history book (See the below picture), except the picture in the book is from the back of Bro. Stewart and you can see the face of Churchill and Roosevelt. If you look at this picture again, you can see the lower part of a man’s body at the top of the picture. This is a man filming this outside meeting, which is the same video I have given to you as a link above.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I believe this is an amazing find on a 66 year-old British newsreel!